Former minister Baba Siddique resigned from the Congress party on Thursday, later in the day he announced his intention to join the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction). His son, Zeeshan, the Congress MLA from Bandra East, has yet to declare his stance. Siddique becomes the second senior leader from Mumbai to leave the Congress within a fortnight, following former union minister Milind Deora`s move to join the Shiv Sena (Shinde).

Representing the upscale western suburb of Bandra West for multiple terms, the veteran minority leader secured a party candidature for his son from Bandra East after conceding the segment to the BJP. Zeeshan emerged victorious in the three-way battle in 2019, becoming one of the youngest MLAs. However, he has faced conflicts with some senior party members while heading the city Congress youth wing. Speaking to reporters, Baba Siddique said that some decisions are painful but necessary. Siddique previously served as a minister during the Congress-NCP coalition`s tenure in Maharashtra.